Millennials’ Social Media Posts influence Peers to buy New Products

Millennials are significantly more likely than older generations to be influenced by their friends’ social media posts about products and services. According to January 2014 polling conducted by Harris Interactive for The Webby Awards, 68% of 18-to-34-year-old social media users surveyed were at least somewhat likely to make a purchase after seeing a friend’s post.

Dissimilarly, 78% of social media users 65 and older said they were not at all likely to make a purchase based on what they saw on their friends’ feeds.

The study found that the majority of posts on social networks about new products and services came from women, especially those 44 and younger. Just 18% of females between the ages of 18 and 34 said they never posted about new products and services. More than half of women between 35 and 44 posted about new products and services at least sometimes.

Interestingly, millennial males were the most inclined to share photos and thoughts each time they tried a new product or service; 6% reported always doing so. Most millennial men, however, rarely posted content about new products and services.

Internet users between the ages of 18 and 44 might be driven to share thoughts and pictures about new products and services if they know it’s something their friends and family have not yet tried.

Nearly six in 10 millennial internet users said they had been the first out of their friends and family to try a new product or service, compared with 19% of internet users 65 and older who said the same.

Courtesy of eMarketer